Long-Term Patient Outcomes for Treatment of Difficult Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus with Particulated Juvenile Allograft Cartilage Implantation ± Calcaneal Autograft: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OCLT) are common injuries that can be difficult to treat. To date, long-term patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) of patients with particulated juvenile allograft cartilage implantation with or without calcaneal autograft have not been compared. METHODS: Thirteen patients with difficult to treat OCLTs underwent arthroscopic-assisted implantation of particulated juvenile allograft cartilage (DeNovo NT®) with or without autogenous calcaneal bone grafting by a single surgeon. Calcaneal bone graft use was determined by lesion size > 150 mm2 and/or deeper than 5 mm. Patients were evaluated using physical examination, patient interviews, and PROMs. RESULTS: When comparing patients in regards to calcaneal bone graft implantation, no difference in age, BMI, pre-operative PROMs, or follow-up was noted, however, calcaneal bone graft patients did have a significantly larger lesion size (188.5 ± 50.9 vs. 118.7 ± 29.4 mm2 respectively; p value = 0.027). VAS and FAAM ADL scores during final follow-up improvement did not significantly differ between cohorts. The FAAM Sports score improved significantly more for the DeNovo alone group compared to the bone graft cohort (p value = 0.032). The AOFAS score improvement did not differ between cohorts (p value = 0.944), however, the SF-36 PCS improved significantly more for the DeNovo alone group compared to the bone graft cohort (p value = 0.038). No intraoperative/perioperative complications were observed with calcaneal bone grafting. CONCLUSION: While patients followed over the course of ~ 8 years after implantation of particulated juvenile allograft cartilage (DeNovo NT®) with/without autogenous calcaneal bone graft had positive post-operative PROMs, patients without calcaneal bone graft had significantly greater improvement in functional outcome scores. Whether these differences are due to graft incorporation or larger lesion size is unclear. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, retrospective cohort study.

Subacromial balloon spacers for the treatment of irreparable rotator cuff tears: a review.

Massive irreparable rotator cuff tears (RCTs) are a commonly encountered orthopedic condition that can be difficult to treat. Several techniques have been described to manage these tears, with the implantable subacromial balloon spacer being one of the most recent. The device, which has only been approved for clinical use in the United States since 2021, functions by resisting the superior humeral head migration seen in the setting of massive RCTs and restoring normal shoulder biomechanics, as corroborated by cadaveric studies. However, results regarding clinical outcomes have been mixed to date, and further high-quality studies are needed to define the optimal use of the subacromial balloon spacer in the treatment of massive irreparable RCTs.

Poor evidence is used to support commercial payers' coverage policies for shoulder arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of shoulder arthroplasty has continued to increase over the past decade. In response, commercial payers have implemented strategies to control the medical requirement of these surgeries in attempt to contain the growing costs. For example, most payers require a prolonged trial of conservative management prior to shoulder arthroplasty for patients who may otherwise be surgical candidates. However, little is known regarding the evidence used to support these indications. The purpose of this study was to analyze the references used by commercial payers to substantiate their coverage policies for shoulder arthroplasty. METHODS: Ten of the leading commercial payers for total shoulder arthroplasty were identified. Publicly available coverage policies were searched on the internet or requested directly from the payer via email or telephone. Cited references were reviewed independently by two authors for type of document, level of evidence, and mention of the efficacy of conservative management. RESULTS: A total of 5 coverage policies were obtained with 118 references. The most common reference type was primary journal article (n = 70; 59.3%) followed by review or expert opinion articles (n = 35; 29.7%). Most references were of level IV evidence (n = 60; 52.2%), with only 6 (5.2%) of level I or II evidence. Only 4 (3.5%) references mentioned the efficacy of conservative management in patients who may be candidates for shoulder arthroplasty. CONCLUSION: The majority of references used to substantiate the coverage policies for shoulder arthroplasty among major commercial payers within the United States are of low scientific evidence and fail to demonstrate the success of required nonoperative intervention strategies. Our study underscores the need for high-quality, comparative trials that evaluate the outcomes of conservative management vs. shoulder arthroplasty in end-stage glenohumeral osteoarthritis patients in order to determine the most cost-effective treatment algorithm.

Forearm Pronation at Foot Contact: A Biomechanical Motion-Capture Analysis in High School and Professional Pitchers.

Background: It has previously been speculated that baseball pitchers who display excessive forearm pronation at foot contact (FC) have a higher propensity toward ulnar collateral ligament injury and subsequent surgery. Purpose: To evaluate the association between degree of forearm pronation/supination at FC and throwing arm kinetics in high school and professional pitchers, at both the individual (intrapitcher) and the group (interpitcher) level. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: High school (n = 41) and professional (n = 196) pitchers threw 8 to 12 fastballs while being assessed with a 3-dimensional motion-capture system (480 Hz). Pitchers at each playing level were divided into a supination or pronation subgroup depending on degree of forearm pronation at FC. Regression models were built to observe the relationship between forearm pronation at FC and kinetic and kinematic parameters of interest. Results: At both the individual and the group level of high school and professional pitchers, there was no significant correlation between forearm pronation at FC and elbow varus torque (P min = .21). For every 10° increase in forearm pronation at FC in the individual high school pitcher, elbow flexion at FC decreased by 5°, whereas maximum elbow extension velocity was achieved 0.6% later in the pitch. In addition, elbow medial force increased by 4.1 N and elbow varus torque increased by 0.8 N·m for every 10° increase in forearm supination at FC. For every 10° increase in forearm supination in the individual professional pitcher, ball velocity increased by 0.5 m/s, shoulder external rotation at FC decreased by 11°, and elbow medial force decreased by 5.5 N. Conclusion: Supination- or pronation-predominant forearm motion during the pitch did not significantly differ between playing levels. Excessive forearm pronation at FC was not a significant risk factor for increased throwing arm kinetics for high school or professional pitchers. There was a weak positive association between forearm supination at FC and elbow varus torque in the individual high school pitcher. Ultimately, coaches and pitchers may be better served by redirecting their focus to other mechanical aspects of the pitch that may have stronger associations with injury risk implications as well as performance.

Prospective registration of randomized clinical trials for total shoulder arthroplasty is low: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Prospective trial registration has become an important means of improving the transparency and reproducibility of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and is recommended by the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (JSES) per the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines. Herein, we performed a cross-sectional evaluation of RCTs published in JSES from 2010 to present to determine the prevalence of trial registration and consistency of outcome reporting. METHODS: The electronic database PubMed was searched to identify all RCTs on total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) published in JSES from 2010 to 2022 using the search terms "randomized controlled trial" AND "shoulder" AND "arthroplasty OR replacement." RCTs were considered to be registered if they provided a registration number. For articles that were registered, authors also extracted the registry name, registration date, date of first enrollment, date of last enrollment, and if the primary outcomes reported in the registry were either (1) omitted, (2) newly introduced in the publication, (3) reported as a secondary outcome or vice versa, or (4) varied in timing of assessment compared to the publication. "Early" RCTs were considered those published from 2010 to 2016, whereas "later" RCTs were from 2017 to 2022. RESULTS: Fifty-eight RCTs met inclusion criteria. There were 16 early RCTs and 42 later RCTs. Twenty-three of the 58 (39.7%) studies were registered, with 9 of 22 with an available registry (40.9%) of those being enrolled prior to patient enrollment. Nineteen of the registered studies (82.6%) provided the name of the registry and a registration number. The proportion of later RCTs that were registered was not significantly different from the early RCTs (45.2% vs. 25.0%, P = .232). Seven RCTs (31.8%) had at least 1 inconsistency compared with the registry. The most common discrepancy was the timing of the assessment (ie, follow-up period) reported in the publication vs. the registry. DISCUSSION: Although JSES recommends prospective trial registration, less than half of shoulder arthroplasty RCTs are registered and more than 30% registered trials have at least 1 inconsistency with their registry record. More rigorous review of trial registration and accuracy is necessary to limit bias in published shoulder arthroplasty RCTs.

Pediatric Shoulder Arthroscopy Case Volume Is Uniformly Low for Graduating Orthopaedic Residents.

Purpose: To evaluate shoulder arthroscopy case volume for graduating United States orthopaedic surgery residents. Methods: We used the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education case log records to evaluate reports from academic years 2016 to 2020. Logs were queried for pediatric, adult, and total (pediatric and adult) cases. The 10th, 30th, 50th, and 90th percentiles of case volumes from 2016 to 2020 were presented to demonstrate case volume variability. Results: There was a significant increase in the average number of total (70.7 ± 35 vs 81.8 ± 45; P < .001), adult (69 ± 34 vs 79.7 ± 44; P < .001), and pediatric (1.8 ± 2 vs 2.2 ± 3; P = .003) shoulder arthroscopy cases performed by orthopaedic surgery residents between the academic year 2016 and 2020. Residents were involved in more than 36 times the number of adult cases compared with pediatric cases in 2020 (79.7 ± 44 vs 2.2 ± 3; P < .001). The 90th percentile of residents performed 6 pediatric cases in 2020, compared with zero cases in the 30th percentile and lower. Conclusions: Approximately one-third of orthopedic surgery residents graduate without having performed a pediatric shoulder arthroscopy. Clinical Relevance: The findings from this study could help guide the revision of current Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education guidelines for orthopaedic surgery residents.

Risks of Immunosuppressive Therapy in Patients Undergoing Open Reduction Internal Fixation for Ankle Fractures.

Chronic steroid and immunosuppressant use have been shown to increase the risk for postoperative complications in orthopedic surgery. Further understanding of the risks of immunosuppression is necessary to aid in risk stratification and patient counseling. However, these risks have not yet been explored in ankle fracture patients. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine whether patients taking immunosuppressives are at an increased risk for morbidity and mortality following open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of ankle fractures. Patients undergoing operative treatment for ankle fractures from 2006 to 2018 were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Patients were categorized based on their use of immunosuppressive medications. Postoperative outcomes assessed included superficial surgical site infections, deep surgical site infections, organ space infections, wound dehiscence, pneumonia, unplanned intubation, pulmonary embolism, urinary tract infection, renal failure, blood transfusion requirement, deep vein thrombosis, sepsis, cardiac arrest, extended length of hospital stay, readmission, reoperation, and mortality. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. In total, 10,331 patients underwent operative treatment for ankle fracture. Total 10,153 patients (98.3%) were not taking immunosuppressants and 178 (1.7%) were taking these medications. In multivariate analysis, patients taking immunosuppressants were at increased risk of pulmonary embolism (odds ratio [OR] 4.382; p = .041) and hospital readmission (OR 2.131; p = .021). Use of immunosuppressive medications is an independent risk factor for pulmonary embolism and readmission following ORIF for ankle fractures. Notably, no association with wound complications, infections, or sepsis was identified.

The Relative Citation Ratio: Evaluating a New Measure of Scientific Influence Among Academic Sports Medicine Surgeons.

Background: Objective measures of research influence are being increasingly utilized to evaluate and compare academic faculty. However, traditional bibliometrics, such as the Hirsch index and article citation count, are biased by time-dependent factors and are limited by a lack of field normalization. The relative citation ratio (RCR) is a new field- and time-normalized article-level metric developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the RCR among fellowship-trained academic sports medicine surgeons and to analyze physician factors associated with RCR values. We hypothesized that the mean RCR score for fellowship-trained academic sports medicine surgery faculty will fall above the NIH standard. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A retrospective data analysis was performed using the iCite database for all fellowship-trained sports medicine surgery faculty associated with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited orthopaedic surgery residency programs in December 2021. In eligible faculty, the mean RCR, weighted RCR, and total publication count were compared by sex, career duration, academic rank, and presence of additional degrees. A mean RCR value of 1.0 is the NIH-funded field-normalized standard. The data herein are presented as the median and interquartile range, in addition to the mean and standard deviation, to account for outliers of the mean and weighted RCR scores. Results: A total of 624 fellowship-trained sports medicine surgery faculty members from 160 orthopaedic surgery residency programs were included in the analysis. Overall, faculty produced impactful research, with a median RCR of 1.6 (interquartile range, 1.0-2.2) and a median weighted RCR of 19.3 (interquartile range, 5.1-69.3). Advanced academic rank and career longevity were associated with increased weighted RCR and total publication count. All subgroups analyzed had an RCR value >1.0. Conclusion: Study findings indicate that fellowship-trained academic sports medicine surgery faculty are highly productive and produce impactful research, as evidenced by the high median RCR value relative to the benchmark NIH RCR value of 1.0.

Perioperative risk stratification tools for shoulder arthroplasty: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Risk stratification tools are being increasingly utilized to guide patient selection for outpatient shoulder arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to identify the existing calculators used to predict discharge disposition, postoperative complications, hospital readmissions, and patient candidacy for outpatient shoulder arthroplasty and to compare the specific components used to generate their prediction models. METHODS: This review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis protocol. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and OVID Medline were searched for studies that developed calculators used to determine patient candidacy for outpatient surgery or predict discharge disposition, the risk of postoperative complications, and hospital readmissions after anatomic or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Reviews, case reports, letters to the editor, and studies including hemiarthroplasty cases were excluded. Data extracted included authors, year of publication, study design, patient population, sample size, input variables, comorbidities, method of validation, and intended purpose. The pros and cons of each calculator as reported by the respective authors were evaluated. RESULTS: Eleven publications met inclusion criteria. Three tools assessed patient candidacy for outpatient TSA, 3 tools evaluated the risk of 30- or 90-day hospital readmission and postoperative complications, and 5 tools predicted discharge destination. Four calculators validated previously constructed comorbidity indices used as risk predictors after shoulder arthroplasty, including the Charlson Comorbidity Index, Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, modified Frailty Index, and the Outpatient Arthroplasty Risk Assessment, while 7 developed newcalculators. Nine studies utilized multiple logistic regression to develop their calculators, while 1 study developed their algorithm based on previous literature and 1 used univariate analysis. Five tools were built using data from a single institution, 2 using data pooled from 2 institutions, and 4 from large national databases. All studies used preoperative data points in their algorithms with one tool additionally using intraoperative data points. The number of inputs ranged from 5 to 57 items. Four calculators assessed psychological comorbidities, 3 included inputs for substance use, and 1 calculator accounted for race. CONCLUSION: The variation in perioperative risk calculators after TSA highlights the need for standardization and external validation of the existing tools. As the use of outpatient shoulder arthroplasty increases, these calculators may become outdated or require revision. Incorporation of socioeconomic and psychological measures into these calculators should be investigated.

Developmental delay: is this pediatric patient population at risk for complications following open treatment of femoral shaft fracture?

PURPOSE: Femoral shaft fractures are common in the pediatric population, accounting for over 20% of inpatient pediatric fractures. Patients with developmental delays are a population group whose medical care and recovery come with a unique set of considerations and challenges. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of developmental delay on outcomes following open treatment of femoral shaft fractures in the pediatric population. METHODS: Pediatric patients undergoing open treatment of femoral shaft fracture from 2012 to 2019 were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric database. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with developmental delay and patients without developmental delay. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and various postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups using bivariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Of the 5896 pediatric patients who underwent open treatment of femoral shaft fracture, 5479 patients (92.9%) did not have developmental delay whereas 417 (7.1%) had developmental delay. Patients with developmental delay were more likely to have other medical comorbidities. Following adjustment on multivariable regression analysis to control for the baseline differences between the two groups, patients with developmental delay had an increased risk of readmission to the hospital (OR 4.762; p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Developmental delay in the pediatric population was found to be an independent risk factor for hospital readmission following open treatment of femoral shaft fractures. Taking these patients into special consideration when evaluating the optimal treatment plan can be beneficial to reduce the risks of readmission, which can decrease costs for both the patient and the hospital.

Is seizure disorder a risk factor for complications following surgical treatment of hip dysplasia in the pediatric population?

The impact of seizure disorders on pediatric patients who undergo hip dysplasia surgery has yet to be elucidated. This study focused on identifying the effect of seizure disorders on the incidence of complications following surgical management of hip dysplasia. Pediatric patients undergoing surgical treatment for hip dysplasia from 2012 to 2019 were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric database. Patients were divided into two cohorts: patients with and patients without a seizure disorder. Patient demographics, comorbidities and postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Of 10 853 pediatric patients who underwent hip dysplasia surgery, 8117 patients (74.8%) did not have a seizure disorder whereas 2736 (25.2%) had a seizure disorder. Bivariate analyses revealed that compared to patients without a seizure disorder, patients with a seizure disorder were at increased risk of developing surgical site infections, pneumonia, unplanned reintubation, urinary tract infection, postoperative transfusion, sepsis, extended operation time and length of stay and readmission ( P < 0.05 for all). Following adjustment for patient demographics and comorbidities on multivariate analysis, there were no differences in any postoperative complications between pediatric patients with and without a seizure disorder. There were no differences in 30-day postoperative complications in patients with and without a seizure disorder. Due to potential decreased bone mineral density as an effect of antiepileptic drugs and the risk of femur fracture during surgery for hip dysplasia, pediatric patients with a seizure disorder should be closely monitored as they may be more susceptible to injury. Level of Evidence: III.

The association between diabetes status and postoperative complications for patients receiving ACL reconstruction.

PURPOSE: It is well established that diabetes is associated with complications following surgical procedures across the wide array of surgical subspecialties. The evidence on the effect of diabetes on postoperative outcomes following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR), however, is not as robust, and findings have not been consistent. It was hypothesized that patients with diabetes are at increased risk of complications and a higher rate of hospital admission following ACLR. METHODS: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for patients undergoing ACL reconstruction from 2006 to 2019. Two patient cohorts were defined in this retrospective study: patients with diabetes and patients without diabetes. The various patient demographics, medical comorbidities, and postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups, with the use of bivariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Of 9,576 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction, 9,443 patients (98.6%) did not have diabetes, whereas 133 patients (1.4%) had diabetes. Following adjustment on multivariate analyses, compared to non-diabetic patients, those with diabetes had an increased risk of admission to the hospital within thirty days of the surgery (OR 2.14; p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Patients with diabetes have a significantly higher risk of being admitted to the hospital compared to those without the disease. Clinicians should be aware of diabetic patients who undergo ACLR to ensure appropriate pre- and postoperative care to minimize complications in this patient population.

Evaluating the association between pulmonary abnormalities and complications following pediatric hip dysplasia surgery.

PURPOSE: Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) encompasses a wide range of abnormal hip development and is a common condition in the pediatric population. Congenital pulmonary abnormalities are typically mild in the pediatric population but can be associated with severe comorbid conditions. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of structural pulmonary/airway abnormalities on the incidence of postoperative complications following surgical management of DDH. METHODS: From 2012 to 2019, the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric database was utilized to identify pediatric patients undergoing surgical treatment for hip dysplasia. Patients were stratified into two groups: patients with a structural pulmonary/airway abnormality and patients without a pulmonary abnormality. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and postoperative complications were compared between the two cohorts with the use of various statistical analyses, including bivariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Of the 10,853 patients who underwent surgical treatment for hip dysplasia, 10,157 patients (93.6%) did not have a structural pulmonary/airway abnormality whereas 696 (6.4%) had an airway abnormality. Following adjustment on multivariate analysis, patients with a structural pulmonary abnormality had an increased risk of cardiac arrest requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (OR 2.342; p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that patients with a structural pulmonary abnormality had an increased risk of cardiac arrest requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared to those without a pulmonary abnormality. Ensuring appropriate preoperative evaluation with a multidisciplinary team and close monitoring postoperatively is important to prevent the risk of severe outcomes in this vulnerable patient population.

Extended length of stay in diabetic octogenarians following revision total hip arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: Past research has shown diabetic patients, including those of geriatric age, to be at an increased risk of postoperative complications following various surgeries, including revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA). However, whether these risks are disproportionately greater in octogenarian patients has not been well investigated. This study aimed to determine whether diabetic octogenarians are at an increased risk of postoperative complications following rTHA. METHODS: The national surgical quality improvement program database was used to identify all diabetic patients who underwent rTHA from 2007 to 2018. Patients were divided into two groups: an aged 65 to 79 cohort and an aged 80 to 89 cohort. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and postoperative complications were assessed and compared between the two aged cohorts, with the utilization of bivariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Of the 1184 diabetic patients who underwent rTHA, 906 (76.5%) patients were in the aged 65 to 79 cohort and 278 (23.5%) patients were in the aged 80 to 89 cohort. After adjusting for patient demographics and medical comorbidities, compared to patients in the aged 65 to 79 group, diabetic patients who were 80 to 89 years old were found to have an increased risk of extended length of hospital stay (OR 1.67; p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Diabetic octogenarian patients have an increased risk for a prolonged hospital stay following rTHA relative to their younger diabetic geriatric counterparts. Orthopedic surgeons should be aware of these increased risks to properly educate diabetic octogenarians and assist in surgical management decision making in these patients considering rTHA.

Evaluation of the National Institutes of Health-Supported Relative Citation Ratio Among Fellowship-Trained American Orthopaedic Joint Reconstruction Surgery Faculty: A New Bibliometric Measure of Scientific Influence.

BACKGROUND: The relative citation ratio (RCR), a novel National Institutes of Health-Supported measure of research productivity, allows for accurate interdisciplinary comparison of publication influence. This study evaluates the RCR of fellowship-trained adult reconstructive orthopaedic surgeons with the goal of analyzing potentially influential physician demographics. METHODS: Adult Reconstruction Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education fellowship-trained faculty for orthopaedic residency programs were identified via departmental websites. The National Institutes of Health's iCite database was retrospectively reviewed for mean RCR, weighted RCR, and publication count by surgeon. Multivariate analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and analyses of variance testing to compare sex, career length, academic rank, and professional degrees in addition to an MD or DO. Significance was considered P < .05. RESULTS: A total of 488 fellowship-trained adult reconstruction faculty from 144 programs were included in the analysis. Overall, the faculty recorded a median RCR of 1.65 (interquartile range: 1.01-2.28) and a median weighted RCR of 16.59 (interquartile range: 3.98-61.92). The weighted RCR and total number of publications were associated with academic rank and career longevity, while the mean RCR was associated with academic rank. The median RCR ranged from 1.12 to 1.87 for all subgroups. CONCLUSION: Adult reconstruction faculty are exceptionally productive and generate highly impactful studies as evidenced by the high median RCR value relative to the National Institutes of Health standard value of 1.0. Our data have important implications in the assessment of grant outcomes, promotion, and continued evaluation of research influence within the hip and knee community.

Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire Scores Alone Do Not Predict Surgical Intervention for Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: With the expanded indications for telemedicine, there is increased utility for screening methods to determine which patients are likely to progress to surgical intervention, requiring in-person visits. Patient-rated tools such as the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) may be one such tool for screening patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The aim of the study was to evaluate whether BCTQ scores were predictive of offering conservative treatment or surgical intervention for CTS. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with CTS from January 2017 to February 2020 completed BCTQ questionnaires prior to in-person office visits. Demographics, comorbidities, and highest level of intervention recommended were recorded for each patient as conservative, injection, or surgery. Pearson χ2 and independent-samples t tests were conducted to determine whether BCTQ symptom severity and functional scores were associated with intervention type. RESULTS: A total of 200 patients with CTS were included. Of these, 103 were recommended conservative or injection treatment and 97 were recommended surgery. There were no differences in comorbidities between groups, including other upper extremity pathology (P = .57), previous upper extremity surgery (P = .32), hypertension (P = .17), hypothyroidism (P = .15), rheumatoid arthritis (P = .34), and diabetes (P = .30). Between these groups, there were no differences in BCTQ symptom severity score (symptom severity scale [SSS]; P = .16) or BCTQ functional severity score (functional severity scale [FSS]; P = .96). CONCLUSIONS: There is no correlation between comorbidities and BCTQ SSS or FSS score, and offering surgery for CTS. In an era of minimizing non-essential health care visits, the BCTQ is insufficient in screening patients as potential surgical candidates.

Mortality and morbidity following operative management of tibial shaft fractures in octogenarians.

PURPOSE: As the geriatric population continues to grow, the incidence of tibial shaft fractures in octogenarians is projected to increase. There is significant variation in the functional and physiologic status within the geriatric population. The purpose of this study is to compare the complications following operative treatment of tibial shaft fractures for patients who are 65- to79-year-old compared to patients who are 80- to 89-year-old. METHODS: Data were collected through the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database for the years 2007-2018. All isolated tibial shaft fractures that were treated with open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) or intramedullary nail (IMN) were identified. Patients were divided into a 65- to 79-year-old group and an 80-to 89-year-old group. Primary and secondary outcomes were studied and included 30-day mortality. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with a significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: In total, 434 patients with tibial shaft fractures were included in the study. Of these, 333 were 65- to 79-year-old and 101 were 80- to 89-year-old (Table 1). On multivariate analysis, there was no significant difference in complication rates between the two cohorts. CONCLUSION: After controlling for demographics and comorbidities, age was not independently associated with 30-day mortality or any other peri-operative complications between patients aged 80 to 89 and patients aged 65 to 79 following operative management of tibial shaft fractures. In appropriately selected octogenarian patients, operative management of tibial shaft fractures represents a relatively safe treatment modality that may promote early rehabilitation.

Risk Factors for Failure After Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation of the Knee: A Systematic Review and Exploratory Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Graft failure after osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) of the knee is a devastating outcome, often necessitating subsequent interventions. A comprehensive understanding of the risk factors for failure after OCA of the knee may provide enhanced prognostic data for the knee surgeon and facilitate more informed shared decision-making discussions before surgery. PURPOSE: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of risk factors associated with graft failure after OCA of the knee. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: The PubMed, Ovid/MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases were queried in April 2021. Data pertaining to study characteristics and risk factors associated with failure after OCA were recorded. DerSimonian-Laird binary random-effects models were constructed to quantitatively evaluate the association between risk factors and graft failure by generating effect estimates in the form of odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs, while mean differences (MDs) were calculated for continuous data. Qualitative analysis was performed to describe risk factors that were variably reported. RESULTS: A total of 16 studies consisting of 1401 patients were included. The overall pooled prevalence of failure was 18.9% (range, 10%-46%). There were 44 risk factors identified, of which 9 were explored quantitatively. There was strong evidence to support that the presence of bipolar chondral defects (OR, 4.20 [95% CI, 1.17-15.08]; P = .028) and male sex (OR, 2.04 [95% CI, 1.17-3.55]; P = .012) were significant risk factors for failure after OCA. Older age (MD, 5.06 years [95% CI, 1.44-8.70]; P = .006) and greater body mass index (MD, 1.75 kg/m2 [95% CI, 0.48-3.03]; P = .007) at the time of surgery were also significant risk factors for failure after OCA. There was no statistically significant evidence to incontrovertibly support that concomitant procedures, chondral defect size, and defect location were associated with an increased risk of failure after OCA. CONCLUSION: Bipolar chondral defects, male sex, older age, and greater body mass index were significantly associated with an increased failure rate after OCA of the knee. No statistically significant evidence presently exists to support that chondral defect size and location or concomitant procedures are associated with an increased graft failure rate after OCA of the knee. Additional studies are needed to evaluate these associations.

No Difference in Complication or Reoperation Rates Between Arthroscopic and Open Debridement for Lateral Epicondylitis: A National Database Study.

PURPOSE: To compare complication rates and 5-year reoperation rates between open debridement (OD) and arthroscopic debridement (AD) for lateral epicondylitis. METHODS: The PearlDiver MUExtr database (2010-2019) was reviewed for patients diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis (queried by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision [ICD-10] codes) undergoing OD or AD of the common extensor tendon without repair (queried by Current Procedural Terminology codes). Patients were stratified into 2 cohorts: those who underwent AD and those who underwent OD. Nonoperative treatment modalities were reported for both groups within 1 year before index procedure. The rates of 90-day postoperative complications were compared, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for complications. The 5-year reoperation rates, using laterality-specific ICD-10 codes, were also compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: In total, 19,280 patients (OD = 17,139, AD = 2,141) were analyzed in this study. The most common nonoperative treatments for patients who underwent OD or AD were corticosteroid injections (49.5% vs 43.2%), physical therapy (24.8% vs 25.7%), bracing (2.8% vs 3.2%), and platelet-rich plasma injections (1.3% vs 1.0%). There were no significant differences in radial nerve injuries, hematomas, surgical site infections, wound dehiscence, and sepsis events between the 2 procedures (P = .50). The 5-year reoperation rate was not significantly different between the AD (5.0%) and OD (3.9%) cohorts (P = .10). CONCLUSIONS: For lateral epicondylitis, both AD and OD of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (without repair) were found to have low rates of 90-day adverse events, with no significant differences between the 2 approaches. Similarly, the 5-year reoperation rate was low and not statistically different for those treated with OD or AD. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, cross-sectional study.